Here’s what the City Council Committees will be discussing Wednesday morning

Ski-to-Sea spectators line Pioneer Bridge at Main Street and gather at Oxford Park at the side of the Nooksack River (May 27, 2018). Photo: My Ferndale News

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Ferndale City Council Committees will be meeting Wednesday, September 26th. There are currently 3 city council committees; Public Works & Utilities, Planning and Land Use and Finance and Administration (FA). Each meets in the main conference room at City Hall for up to an hour. The public is welcome to attend these meetings which are held at Ferndale City Hall, 2095 Main Street, in the main conference room which is accessed by an outside door on the southwest corner of the building.

The Municipal Code is unclear as to how long a vehicle may be parked on a city street. One part of the code says a maximum of 72 hours while another states 24 hours. The code is contradictory and misleading to the public and staff thinks it prudent to clean it up.

City staff are recommending making changes to the code so that it better conforms with a recent court ruling mandating regulations not be tied to the content of the sign but rather size, materials, type and location. In doing so, some sizes, materials and types of signs will be prohibited. Different rules are being proposed for city right-of-ways and private property.

This was on the agenda for the last full City Council meeting but was not dealt with due to time constraints.

City staff are recommending adopting modifications to various chapters of the Ferndale Municipal Code that would make outdoor homeless encampments hosted by religious organizations a conditional use and clarifying that churches and religious institutions are conditional uses in all zones.

This will bring city code into better alignment with existing state law.

Developer Tommy Truong has requested reconsideration of a 2016 Developer’s Agreement that restricted a multi-family development on Legoe Avenue properties owned by Troung in exchange for conditional use approval for single family attached dwellings in the high single family dwelling zone. While still proposing to build 12 units on his properties, he is requesting to be allowed up to two units on his adjacent property and reducing the number of units on the primary property to ten from twelve. The original agreement prohibited any units on the adjacent property.

City staff are expected to recommend customers have until January 1, 2019 to pay off their August 31st and their October 31st bills. This grace period would end January 1st and any customer who has not brought their account current by then would incur a late fee in January and be subject to water shut off per normal billing terms.

Sewer rate/sewer summer discount

Councilmember Cathy WatsonTeresa Taylor requested this be on the committee meeting agenda.

City Administrator Greg Young will present a recommendation for additional water and sewer rate increases that are lower than previously proposed.

Beaulaurier is the founder of My Ferndale News. As a Ferndale resident, he hopes to empower the community with free access to news that matters and makes a difference in the day-to-day challenges faced while we work and live in the Ferndale area.

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